RAWALPINDI: England white-ball head coach Brendon McCullum said he was wary of a strong Pakistan side ahead of their ODI tri-series fixture at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Ahead of England’s opening match of the tri-series, McCullum admitted that facing Pakistan and Sri Lankan would be a difficult task but said his team was looking forward to the challenge.
“We know that coming here and taking on Pakistan and also a good Sri Lankan team in a tri-series is going to be a difficult task but we are looking forward to it,” he told reporters.
He described competing in a tri-series as an exciting and unique experience, adding that the weather and playing conditions in Pakistan were ideal for cricket.
“It’s quite unique playing in a tri-series and we all are super excited about that and it’s great to be back at this time of year in Pakistan as well. The weather is beautiful, the conditions are amazing. We feel really pleased to be here,” he shared.
McCullum praised Pakistan’s strength, particularly in home conditions, and said England were eager to play competitive cricket.
“Pakistan’s is very strong side. When you come to this part of the world, you have to do things differently. Playing subcontinent teams in subcontinent conditions has its own challenges. We are looking forward to it and we want to become a team that could compete in all conditions against any opposition,” the coach said.
“We need to embrace and we need to adjust to whatever the conditions are and particularly in a tri-series you have to balance between two different sides.”
McCullum also highlighted Pakistan’s home advantage, noting that the hosts were more familiar with the conditions. However, he viewed this as both a challenge and an opportunity for England to adapt quickly.
“Pakistan have got a home ground advantage. They know the conditions lot better than we will and that’s a challenge and opportunity for us to try and quickly adapt to those.”
“I think in international cricket winning away from is really difficult in any format. But we are respectful of that and w have high hopes and ambitions for this series and we have to be at our best to be competitive,” he concluded.